Technology

NEWS: 3D printed a ZHA skyline

The City of Towers installation forms part of the permanent collection at the Design Museum, with the Zaha Hadid Architects project standing resplendent in its 3D printed form.

The installation outlines the evolution of architectural research from its designers, and showcases the many possibilities and iterations for a tower, mapping its adaptations and development process.

Conceived in collaboration with Soho China for a proposed new business district and urban environment in central Beijing, the design breaks from the typical tower-with-podium typology by redefining the ground surface as a continuous landscape that seamlessly weaves between one tower and the next; creating a new civic centre for Beijing that embodies values of innovation, functionality and coherence.

However this video concentrates on the fabrication process by London 3D printing bureau Digits2Widgets, using nylon Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), highlighting the level of skill involved in cramming as many parts into the 3D printer build space, stacking it up, and removing it from the powder bed in perfect condition for finishing.